Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-07-09

,Noon1AMN FARMERS. CLUB.



(Repored for the Alexandria GAzETTE.)
The July meeting of the Woodlawn Farm,
ers' Club was held at E. E. Mason's on the
I'd inst, President Pierson in the chair. The
unusually fine weather resulted in keeping
many of the farmers at home in closin. up
the weeks work of haymaking and thresh-
ing. 80 that the attendance of members was
small, though later in the day the turnout,
especially Of ladies and young people, was
large. Prof. o. T. Mason. of the National
Museum, Washington, brother of our host,
was present, whose visits to the neighbor-
hood are always occasions OF interest anu
advantage to those who are brought il con-
tact with him. He is one of those who,
after years of laborious application in the
pursuit of knowledge, has reached that po-
sition In which he is sensible of how much
there is vet to be learned of the workings
of the immutabe laws of natnre-yet ever
ready to impart to others on oil proper oc-
casions the result Of his researches, and the
lessons to be drawn from his practical views
of the philosophy of life. He having just
returned from trip TO the Northwest, we
were entertained for some time in an in.
formal way by recital of his observations
of men and things about Chicago and Min
neapols, especially the latter place-that
young giant in American enterprise. Among
the things mentioned as especially worthy
of note were the exceptionally line
strawb in the markets there and
the great length of the strawberry sea-
son. With the perfected. railroad sys-
tenn of the Mississippi Valley and
rapid transit of freight beginning with ber'
ries from the extreme South and ending
with thoss from the far Northwest the SEA
son is heightened TO near three months. The
club was called to order late in the after
noon for the transaction of some routine
business and the minutes OF last meeting
read. A. w. Harrison and Oscar Baker
have put the road in good shape near the
entrance TO Alexandria as proposed at last
meeting and it appears the road commits
sioners have received the credit for this
work which properly belongs to the gentle
men mentioned. The matter of graveling
the upper end of the turnpike road is in
"statu Quo," the work of harvesting taking
precedence of everything else. This subject
will be further considered at next meet
ing.
E. f. Mason read letter from ON official
of the Agricultural Department in relation
to the protection of birds, in which it was
stated that an investigation of the habits OF
hawks in conjunction with ore of the farm
ers' clubs of Montgomery county, Md. had
resulted in the determination Of that society
to extend them their protection, they being
more beneficial than otherwise.
So far as threshing has progressed the
yield of wheat is not as satisfactory as usual,
the quantity of grain not in proportion to
the straw The fruit crop is very short
more so than for q number of years past.
After supper the assemblage which had now
grown into goodly company gathered
upon the lawn to listen to familiar
talk by Prof Mason. A large part of the
audience being ladies, after few introduc
tory remarks he went on TO show how all
the refining industries of modern times were
started by the females of The different races,
man at the Same time being engaged i'll war,
| the chase, and other occupations requiring
hardship and endurance of a different char
acter. 1t was to be regretted that the pur-
suits first mentioned, including the fine arts,
had been appropriated IN so large meas
ure by the men. He also gave an explana,
ton of the true meaning and functions OF
science We are apt to couple our ideas of
scientific person with "bue stocking
CRANK or mOnStroSlly Oh SOme klnui u
thing to be avoided. Whereas, science is 4
correct study and Interpretation of the laws
of nature, careful collective classification
and arrangement of facts; science is
not theory. He gave personal illus
traton of this. When he was stu.
dent at college no was asked by
one of the professors "if pint of snlt
was put into a pint cup full of water, arhy it
,could mol run over" He asked until next
day to answer it, and then proposed All
elaborate essay explaining the phenomena as
he thought, then read it to the professor, who
after listening to it patiently, told him that
it could not be done. The young student
retired, sad and humbed, though somewhat
wiser; he had learned lesson never TO be
forgotten. He especially recommended that
the young people should apply themselves
to the study of some of the natural laws
that are in daily operation all around them,
they would soon become interested and tas-
cinated by the wonderful unfolding of
science as they progressed with the investi-
cations
The next meeting will bs at Charles +.
Wilkins place on the S0th ofJuly. Critical
committee d. p. Smith, Oscar Baker, and
Charles Gibbs.
w. GILLINGHAM, secretary.